Tree pulling arrangement



May 20, 1952 J. l. I YLE, m 2,597,740

TREE PULLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 22, 1948 32 5f 5f l f) 14 13 1f C? ZENTOR. BY 155/@ ATTOR/VEX' Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED SLT '..TES i? .TENT

4Friet:

V19l Claims. 1

My invention relates to new and useful. im.- proveznents in tree-pulling mechanism. This present application is a continuation-impartof my copending patent application, filed` Eebruary 28, 1945, Serial No. 580,232, now abandoned..

The general object ofthis invention is to provide a. rugged, yet relatively inexpensive, tree.- pulling mechanism, adapted (if desired) to be mounted upon an ordinary truck, tractor, or trailer, to .provide an eicient means for. clearing woodland for farming purposes, roads, airports, and other operationsY which require the removal of trees, including the removal of their roots.

More specific objectsare as follows:

l. To provide new and more eiiicient means whereby jaws, pivotally supported by, or otherwise braced upon the carrying vehicle, will grip-and then pull the tree upwards out ofthe ground;

2. To provide new and more efficient means whereby the same pulling force is exerted first to grip the tree securely, and then automatically to pull the tree upwards out of the ground..

3. To provide means whereby the mere placing of the jaws against the tree, by the` horizontal movement of the vehicle, will give an initial set to the jaws.

4. To provide means, not necessarilya. hinge, to prevenii relative vertical movementv of the two jaws, while inl lifting engagement with. a tree.

5. To provide means whereby the grippingforce may be increased relative to the lifting force, to compensate. for thelessening of total force due to the loss of ground-reaction-after the treeleaves the ground.

6. To provide means other than. actual Contact of parts, to limit the extent of upward lift.

7. Toreduce overhead clearance for any given height of. maximum lift.. y

8. To provide means for reopening the jaws when they are lowered.

9. To provide. self-cleaning jaws;

10. To provide guard means to, prevent" the tree, when pulled, from toppling sidewardsr or onto the machine.

11. To provide Outrigger jackswhich will auto'- matically bear against the ground in the vicinity of. the. tree to transmit to theground a` part. of the operating reactions. ofthe machine.

12. To provide means to prevent the jaws from becoming toggledV open.

In addition tothe objectsabovestated, I. have worked out a number of novel and useful details, which. will become readilyv evidentA asthe description progresses:

Iviy invention consists in the. novel parts, and in the combination. and arrangement thereof, which are defined in the appended claims, and of which one embodiment is exemplied in the accompanying drawings, which are hereinafter .particularly described and explained.

Throughout the description, the same reference number is applied to the same. member or similar members.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing it will be. seen that: f'

Figure 1 is a plan View of my invention, mounted on a truck chassis.

Figure 2 isla side elevation of the same, showing in solid lines my invention inY lowered position, and in dotted lines my. invention in raised position.

Figure 3 is. a rear elevation of the same, taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken along the lines 1 -IIA ofFigure 2.

Referring now to the figures We see that II represents an ordinary truck chassis, having the usual wheels, power plant, and other elements of a conventional motor-vehicle, none of which, per se, constitute a part of my invention.

A power take-off I2, from. the engine of the truck, serves a winch I3, mounted on the chassisframe behind the drivers seat'.

This Winch. mechanism serves a derriclr which forms a part of my tree-pulling mechanism, now to be described.

Arms I4 extend lengthwise of the vehicle frame, one arm beingon each side thereof as illustrated. These arms, at one end thereof, are hingedly connected, as at I5, to cross-axis member I6, in such manner as to permit vertical angular movement about the axis thereof, as well as angular'movement relative toeach other. in the plane of the arms.

This cross-aX-is-member I6 may be built sulil'- ciently-sturdy'so as to serve as a torsion-box, in whichevent it should be journaled on theframe as at |11, I'I. If not thus sturdily built, it maybe thus journaled, or it might be rigid with the frame, and provided with gimbalv joints. connecting its endsl to the ends of arms UIat I5, I`5

The other ends of each arm I4 extendsbeyond the chassis proper. Atthisend, each. arm I4 is bent. inwardly towardthe other arm, and. carries at the extremityv of thisbentportion a..jaw I8. If desired, these jawsV can beslightly` inclined inwardly upwardly toconformto the slight taper of the` average tree trunk, the slight torsional flexibility of the arms taking care of any variation therefrom.

Each jaw'I8 consists preferably of a series of vertically spaced serrated plates, The serrations serve as teeth to grip the tree. The spaces serve as exit `points to permit the escape of bark and scraped pieces of wood, which otherwise might clog the jaws and prevent the teeth from taking a firm grip.

Each jaw I8 is preferably, but not necessarily hinged to its arm I4, about a vertical axis, as at I9.

Those ends of the jaws which are nearer to the vehicle are preferably intermeshed. This intermeshing and/or the torsion-box I6 serve to prevent relative verticalY movement of the two jaws while in lifting engagement with a tree.

If the jaws are hinged to the arms, as above suggested, then preferably so as to prevent them from flopping loosely and thus not evenly engaging the tree, they should be hin-ged together where they mesh, about a vertical axis, as at 25. Such hinge, to prevent it from becoming toggled, should be so located that a horizontal circular arc through hinge I9, centered at connection I5, will pass well to the rear of hinge 2E! when the arms are at their widest possible spread.

On each arm I4, preferably on the inner face thereof, and preferably as far to the rear as possible (for example, near the elbow of the arm), there is an attachment 2 I, preferably swiveled to the arm on a substantially horizontal substantially transverse axis. From each such attachment 2 I, there extends inwardly at least one link 22, which is hinged to a member 23. This member, as shown, carries at least one sheave 24.

On the chassis there is an elevated support 25, which carries at least one sheave 26, pivoted at 21.

A rope 28 extending from winch I3 around sheave 25, around sheave 24, again around sheave 26 to an anchorage 2,9 serves, at the will of the operator, to raise or lower arms I4, and jaws IB carried thereby. If there were no sheave 24, rope 28 would, of course, extend from the sheave 26 direct to anchorage 29.

Other means than the block-and-tackle means just described, could be used to cause axis 2I to approach axis 21.

One very important inventive detail of my apparatus is the relative location of axes I5, 2I and 21. The distance of 21 from I5 should preferably be materially less than the distance from I to 2 I. In fact the first distance should be sufficiently Y*less than the second so that the parts carried by the arms (i. e., member 23, sheave 24, etc.) can never come block-to-block with the parts carried by the support 25 (i. e., sheave 26, etc.), and/or so that the distance from axis I5 to a line joining axes 2l and 21, will become rapidly and materially shortened as the inclination of arms I4 to the horizontal increases. The reasons for all this will become readily evident, when later herein I describe the operation of my apparatus.

Support 25 carries, adjacent its top, guards 3) suitably braced. The object of these guards will be explained later herein.

Diverging rearwardly from the chassis, I provide jack-arms 3I, equipped with Iground-engaging jacks 32. For reasons which will later appear, these jacks need not be vertically adjustable.

Downwardly projecting from each arm I4, preferably near the jaw-holding end thereof, is a roller 33. This is advisable, not essential. To co-operate with each such roller, the chassis carries a track 34, preferably downwardly outwardly inclined, with a stop 35 at the outer end thereof. The objects of these co-operating rollers and tracks will be explained later herein.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows.

With arms I4 lowered and jaws I8 open, the vehicle is backed toward a tree. The effect of jamming the jaws against the tree is to cause a partial closing of the jaws about the tree-trunk at a very low point thereof, thus giving the jaws an initial set thereon.

The winch I3 is th-en actuated to draw in on rope 28. It will be appreciated so long as the jaws are around the tree, partial closing of the jaws may be effected by actuation of the winch to draw in on a rope 28; it is not necessary that the jaws be jammed against the tree. This pulls member 23 toward axis 21. Inasmuch as links 22 are initially at a very obtuse angle to each other, the first effect of this pull, resisted as it is by the firm anchorage of the tree-roots in the ground is to draw the arms I4 together, thus causing the jaws I3 to grip the tree with terrific force.

As soon as the jaws I8 have firmly gripped the tree, the entire available line-pull will be exerted to pull upwardly on the tree.

The reaction in the machine to this upward pull on the tree, is a downward pull on the rear end of the machine. This quickly compresses the rear tires and/or springs (if any) and lifts the front wheels o the ground, thus lowering the rear end of the machine and thereby forcing the jacks 32 down into engagement with the ground, without putting anyone to the bother of screwing them down. Thereafter the reaction is transmitted to the ground through the jacks and the rear Wheels, the major portion of the reaction being taken by the jacks.

Finally the roots of the tree give way, and the tree is bodily lifted.

But the moment that the tree is no longer held by the ground, the downward reaction of the ground is no longer added to the weight of the tree (and the dirt held thereby) and the weight of the jaws and arms. Thus the line-pull is considerably slackened, and the grip on the tree proportionally so. However, the relative locations of points I5, 2i, and 21 now come into play; for as the tree is lifted, the lever-arm between the pivot I5 and the direction of pull of the ropes is shortened, thus increasing the tension in the ropes, and thereby increasing the ratio of the gripping force to the weight which is being lifted.

As a further result `of the relative location of points I5, 2I and 21, sheaves 24 and 26 can never `come block-to-block, but are limited instead merely by the line-pull which the winch can exert. This prevents damage to the block-andtackle mechanism, and also permits higher raising of the tree with a machine of less height (except for the guards 33, which are not necessary, although convenient) than otherwise.

The object of the guards 30 is to prevent the tree, after being pulled, and especially while being carried, from toppling sideways, or from toppling onto the machine.

By this time, if not before, the truck will have settled forward again onto its front wheels, thus lifting the jacks 32 off the ground, so that they will not interfere with the locomotion of the truck.

When the tree has been raised, the truck can transport it, still clasped by the jaws, to wherever the operator wishes to dump it. Upon arriving at the dump, the rope 28 is payed out, thus lowering th-e tree. The jaws gradually release their grip.

The j ar ofi the` tree-roots lagainst theI ground is usually suilcient'` totrelease` the. jaws:- completely. The truck cani then` topple Ythestreel over byA backing a bit further, or the tree cantbehleftstanding.

asdesired:

When thetjaws. have been freed frornthe tree,`

thereactionontlinkszibyfthewreight of arms: M;

andiv jaws 1.8i. pulling. down, and: rope. 2.8:. pulling diagonallyfupward, would: tend to. draw thelarms together thusiclosing thel j aws;y ButV thisA is4 where my.vv rollers 33a and: coaoperating rolleretracks: 34 cometintotplay..

Ellen. if-.thesei tracks` 342 be not inclined', yetfif attachments: Z1. be not swiveled, the4 weight of links 22: and member 23, acting against the upward: reaction: cfg tracks 34; against. rollers 3.#3; woulda' be sufcientzto; spreadf. arms; It', Vand thus opentjaw-s. t8: But; eveminsuch a situation as this, an inclination 4off tracks.,- M. would: assist: imdb,v attachments. 2.1i are swiveled.,k then. it. isy essentialthat traoksn34; belinclined; or thatzscme. auxiliary -spreadingmeanszbe employed;

The` stops: 3ft; on. the outer ends.. of4 tracks'. 351iy limitthe44 travel; ofe'rollers..3.3.; and thus prevent jaws le: from, becoming toggled; oper1,. as would Occur ifi the jaws were permitted.;y te. open; far. enoughisothat; pivot; 2&1.; woulddieftofthe rear off a horizontalcircular: arczthroughrhinge It.; centeredv atpconnecticn Iii. Other: means. such; as-on the jaws. themseltes; cculd' be employedto:l prevent Such:toggling.butahpreferfmeansz(suchiasshown) applying directly.` tirarme- Mc; inasmuchy as such meansirelievethe: parts.. of'. strain.

Harina-now; described and` illustrated one form effi my: invention, ,Ii wish. it: to.; be understrecdy that mv; inrentiomisfnotfto belimited to the; speoic form on arrangement otparts: herein: described andshewn, except-as speccally covered by my claims.

I claim:

l. ln-fa, device for uprooting and transporting trees, for attachment to a supporting vehicle, the combination. ofi. twoA laterally spaced. longitudinally ext-ending arms; a fixed mounting for one end of'each arm on the vehicle, for pivotalmovementwith respect to` the vehicle about av substantiallyhorizontal axis,v andifabout anaxis substantially perpendicular tothear-m andl to the horizontal* axis; thel horizontal axes of thesaid twomountings being substantially coaxial ;y two grasping jaws; each` carriedl byft'lrat end off one arm remoteY fromits mounting o n thevehicle, said jaws being-hingedlyconnected to eachother to permit grasping and ungrasping horizontal movement of the two :jaws to and away from each other and to prevent relative vertical translation thereof; and common means for first drawing together and then raising the jaw-holding ends of the two arms.

2. A device according to claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the common means comprise: two connecting rods, each hingedly connected to one of the arms, and extending inwardly toward the other arm, said two rods being hingedly connected to `each other, the axes of the three hinged connections being substantially parallel to each other; and means for pulling on the joined ends of the two rods; thereby first drawing together the projecting ends of the arms, and then raising them.

3. A device according to claim 2, further characterized by the fact that each hinge-connection of a connecting rod to an arm is swiveled to that arm on a substantially horizontal axis, the two swivels being substantially coaxial.

4'. A-.deviceacoordingto claim, 3', fui-.ther chan. acterized by` the: factrthat. the pulling means-.in cludesza pivot, theaxisfof said'. pivot', in. all posi.- tionso the arms, beingdisposedxmaterially. closer.v tothe axis. ofV pivotal; mounting of:v the arms; on theA vehiclel than. thel distance. from such.y mounteing tothe axis. of: swixrelconnectionof; the rods to the arms.

5i AL deviceaccording to. claim 1', further. char;- actenized; by the fact that the., hinged connection. between the twoj-awszis :onza substantially-vertical1 axis.

6. A deviceraccordnate claimt.. further charasterizedvv by having: means to: prevent; the jaws. from opening; to.; such. an extent that.: they will become,y toggledT open. at.. said .last-mentioned pivf otal connection.

'7; A device according. to; claim 1'. further char.- acterized by having a pair of guards; elevated. above, thepoint.v off highest lift ofthe; jaws.. and projecting-:inthe same direction as the; jaws-.to protect;- the: tree. against tohpling sidewards: or toward: thea vehicle;

8..In a device. for uprooting-A and transporting trees, for. attachment.v to. ai supporting vehicle, thea combination of::: two.I laterally spacedv longitudinally. extending. arms; a.. fixed. mounting: for onef end'. of.;` eachv arm; on the. vehicle, for.A pivotal movement with respect: to the. vehicle; about a substantiallyI horizontal axis, and: aboutanl axis substantially: perpendicular tof the arm; and; to the horizontal axis; they horizontal axes of the said two mountings being substantially coaxial.: two; grasping jaws, each carried. byv that' end; or' one armrernote from its mounting onthe vehicle; common means forF first` drawing togetherY and thenraising.. thejaw-holding. ends: ofthe' two arms; and: means. to; automatically open: the jaws upon the.v arms: being; lowered: to a predetermined positiont 9: A"r deviceaccordingto. claim..8,' further. characterized': byf the fact-1: that the commonv means comprise: two.. connecting rods, eachV hingedly connected to. one of. the arms, and; extending inwardly.y toward the other= arm; said; two v rods being hingedly connectedatozeach other, the axes of the three hinged connections being substantially parallel to` each other;r and means. for pulling onthe joinedfendsof the two rods; thereby 'rst.. drawing togetherA the. projecting ends. of the arms,` and-1 then raising them. f

10. Aidevice accondingtoclaim 9, further characterized byethe .factthatathe' j aw-opening means comprise meansto` prevent the-arms from being lowered beyond a predetermined distance.

11. A device according to claim 10, further characterized by the fact that the jaw-opening means comprise two transversely extending tracks, one being beneath each arm, and so positioned that the weight of the arms and associated parts will force the arms apart as the arms engage these tracks.

12. A device according to claim 11, further characterized by the fact that the two transverse tracks extend downwardly and outwardly.

13. A device according to claim 12, further characterized by the fact that each arm engages plant, a retaining axle member supported on said chassis and extending laterally thereof, a plurality of arms universally pivoted adjacent the ends of said arms on said member and adapted to pivot thereabout, said arms extending longitudinally of the vehicle chassis, gripping jaws hingedly secured to said arms and to one another, a housing, a pulley supported in said housing. connecting reds hinged to said housing and to said arms, a derrick mounted on said chassis having a pulley thereon, a winch, a power takeoi from the power plant of the vehicle, said winch being connected to said power take-off, and a cable connecting said winch to said pulleys, said connecting rods upon actuation of the pulleys moving said arms to close the gripping jaws upon a tree to be uprooted and then pivototing said arms about the axle member to uproot the tree.

16. In mobile tree-uprooting mechanism, the combination of a vehicle chassis, a power plant thereon to move the chassis from place to place, a retaining axle member supported on said chassis and extending laterally thereof, a plurality of arms mounted on said member adapted to pivot horizontally and vertically thereabout and to move toward one another, said arms being spaced from each other and extending longitudinally of the chassis, gripping jaws hingedly secured to said arms and hinged to one another,

a housing having a pulley therein, connecting rods hinged to said housing and to said arms, a derrick mounted on said chassis having a second pulley thereon, a winch, a power take-off from the power plant of the vehicle, said winch being connected to the power take-off, and a cable connecting said winch to said pulleys, actuation of the winch raising the housing thereby pivoting the connecting rods about the housing and the arms and pivoting the arms about the retaining member to move the ends of the arms laterally toward one another to close said jaws upon a tree to be uprooted and upon further upward movement of the housing, pivoting the arms about the axle member in a diierent di rection to uproot the tree.

17. Mobile tree-uprooting mechanism according to claim 16 in which the jaws include a series of teeth adapted to grip the trunk of a tree, the teeth biting beneath the surface of the bark, said teeth being spaced from one another with an opening between adjacent teeth so that bark and other debris may pass between the adjacent teeth, the teeth of engaging jaws being arranged in overlapping relationship so that the teeth of one jaw are in staggered relation with respect to the teeth of the other jaw when in trunkgripping position.

18. Mobile tree-uprooting mechanism according to claim 16 in which a plurality of support members are mounted on the chassis, each support member being supported on the frame of the chassis and comprising a supporting arm with a flat platform end at the bottom thereof, the platform end being substantially parallel to the ground but elevated a predetermined distance thereabove, said platform being adapted to support the chassis and relieve the strain from the tires and springs of the truck when the truck sags during a tree pulling operation.

19. In mobile tree-uprooting mechanism, the combination of a Vehicle chassis, a power plant thereon to move the chassis from place to place, a retaining axle member supported on said chassis and extending laterally thereof, a plurality of arms mounted on said member, each member being universally pivoted thereon to move t0- ward one another and to permit movement in a different direction, said arms being spaced from each other and extending longitudinally of the chassis, gripping jaws carried by said arms, a housing, connecting rods hingedly secured to said housing and said arms, and means for raising said housing thereby pivoting the connecting rods about the housing and the arms and pivoting the arms about the retaining member to move the ends of said arms laterally toward one another to close the jaws upon a tree to be uprooted and upon further upward movement of the housing, pivoting the arms about the retaining member in a diierent direction to uproot the tree.

JOEL IRVINE LYLE, III.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 676,599 Bergom June 18, 1901 1,202,681 Temple et al. Oct. 24, 1916 1,437,547 Pope Dec. 5, 1922 1,884,861 Remde Oct. 25, 1932 2,025,340 Crocker Dec. 24, 1935 2,189,052 Anthony Feb. 6, 1940 2,345,789 Brooks Apr. 4, 1944 2,436,510 Ferguson Feb. 24, 1948 

